Mounting for sliding doors



Dec 28 1926.

F. DITCHFIELD MOUNTING FOR SLIDING DOORS Filed June 15,1925` 2 sheets-sheet 1 Dec. 28 1926. I 1,611,897

F. DITCHFIELD MOUNTING FOR SLIDING DOORS Filed June .15, 1925 2'shee1s-shee1 2 ;/////////A//1 VIM v E. ma

y- M7447, @gigli/gjm Patented Dec. 28, 1926.

UNITED j STATES d tensa? Partnr omer.

FRANK DITCHFELD, F CHICAGO, ILLNOS, ASSGNOR 'TO CAMEL COMPANY, OF

- CHICAGO, ILLINOS, A GGRPORATION OF ILLINOS.

MOUNTING FOR SLDING DOORS.

Application filed June 15, 1925. Serial No. 37,061.

The present invention relates to mountings for sliding doors.

freight cars. Such sliding doors have in the past been provided with rollers, but special construction has been required for maintaining the rollers in their proper positions rela-- tive to one another and relative to the parts with which they have rolling engagement.

An object of the present invention is to provide a mounting for a sliding door which is inexpensive to manufacture and assemble and simple in operation.

A further objectl is to provide roller bearings for a sliding door which roller bearings, though simple in structure, will be effective in service.

A further object is to provide roller bearings for sliding doors which will have the advantage that the rollers will always be disposed in proper position.

Further objects will appear asthe description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings-- Figure l is a fragmentary view illustrating part of the side of a railway box car;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of therailway box car shown in Figure l, said View being taken along the plane indicated by the arrows 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a View, on an enlarged scale, of part of the structure shown in Figure l; and

Figure t is a fragmentary viewin section showing a modified arrangement.

The numeral l indicates the side wall of a railway box car. Said side wall is provided with a door opening adapted to be closed by the sliding door 2. Said sliding door is shown in full lines in closed position, the open position of said sliding door being indicated in broken lines. The side plate of the wall 1 of the box car is provided with the angle 3, to which is secured the guard 4L. Said angle 3 provides a track extending longitudinally of the Car wall for a sufiicient distance to support the sliding door 2 throughout its range of sliding movement. Said sliding door 2 is provided at its top with the Z-bar 5 having the iange 6 lying between the guard fl and the side plate of the car. Movement of the door 2 in a direction transversely of the car is therefore limited by the side plate ofthe car and said guard 4, whereby said door 2 is guided in its longitudinal movement.

Secured on the outer side of the door 2 adjacent to the uppei edge of said door are a pair of brackets 7 7. Said bracket-s 7-7 have riveted thereto the angle 8, which, as shown in Figure 1, lies in parallel relationship with tlie door 2 and entends a'short distance beyond each of the two side edges of said door 2. Said angle 8 and the track 3 provide bearing members for a pair of rollers 9-9, whereby the door v2 may be moved with a sliding motion with a minimum of effort. Each of the brackets 7--7 is provided with a pin 10 forming a supportfor a roller 1l, which is adapted to abut against the under surface of the guard 4, whereby to limit upward movement of the door 2 and to minimize the danger of jamming.

According to the illustrated embodiment provided. Said rollers should be disposed lin spaced relationship wit-h one another and should be spaced apart a sutiicient distance so that binding and tipping of the door 2 will be avoided. According to the disclosure of Figure l, said rollers 9 9 are so disposed that when the door is in closed position, one of the rollers 9 is'adjacent to the rear end of the angle 8, and when the door is in full open position, the other roller 9 is adjacent to the forward end of said angle 8. As will be explained, the rollers 9-9 are geared to the angle 8 and to the angle 3, so that the range of mo-vement of each roller 9 is one-half of the range of movement of of the present invention two rollers 9-9 are -I the door The geared connection referred to is provided by projecting studs and cooperating recesses. j

Referring to ligures 2 and 3, the angle 8 is provided with a plurality of rivets 12-12 having substantially conical head portions 13-13, forming studs, projecting downwardly from the horizontal wall of the angle 8. The angle 3 is provided with a plurality of spaced rivets 1li-14, which are provided with the conical heads 15-15, forming studs, projecting upwardly from the horizontal surface of the track 3. The rivets 12-12 and 14.-14t are spa-ced equally along the angle 8 and the track 3, and the axes of the rivets l2 are in vertical alignment with the axes of rivets 14k-14. Each of the rollers 9 9 is provided with spaced conical apertures 16--16, the axes of said apertures being equally spaced with the conical heads 13-13 and 15-15. The height oi the conical heads 13-13 and 15-15 should be 1 greater than the range of lifting movement oi'the door 2 permitted by therollers 11-l1, so that there is no danger of the rollers 9 9 becoming misplaced from the rivet heads 13-13 and 15-15.

i In themodified structure shown in Figure fl the roller 16', instead oit being-'provided with spaced holes as is the roller 9 shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, is provided with spaced conical projections 17-17 adapted to seata within spaced holes 18-18 in the structural steel members carried by the sliding door andthe trame of the car.

The structure shown in Figure-d is a bottom hung job. Carried by the side sill 19 of the car are a plurality of brackets 20, which support the angle 21. Carried at the lower extremity of the door 2 is the structural steel member 22 havingthe web 23 disposed underneath the lower edge of the door 2 and having the flange 2li extending down.-

Vwardly from the web 23. The flange 24 cooperates with the angle 21 to guide the door 2 in its sliding movement.

It will be clear without detailed explanation that when the door 2 is moved with a sliding motion, said sliding motion will be accomplished on the roller bearings provided by the rollers 9-9 of Figures 1, 2 and 3, or by corresponding rollers 16- as shown in Figure 4e. The cooperating conical parts of said rollers andI their cooperating bearing members will be engaged during the sliding movement of the door 2, and said rollers will be maintained in predetermined spaced relationship with one another. Said. rollers will travelI half the distance to which the sliding door 2is moved and, willi always be in operative position, The factv that said rollers will have a range of travel ofonly half the maximum distance through which the door 2 will b e moved rendersl it possible 'fio space said rollers apart a very considerable distance without necessitating an excessively long angle 8 to maintain said rollers in operative position throughout the range of movement of said door.`

The present invention is simple andvinexpensive, is easy to assemble, is positive in its action and will not get out of operative relationship in service.

Though a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail, it will be clear that many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is intend-edto. cover all: such modiiications that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

That is claimed is- 1. In combination, a car iframe, a sliding door, a track carried by` said car frame, an elongated met-al member carried by said door, a pair of rollersbetween said track andv said elongated metal members, said rollers being provided with recesses uniformly spaced about their peripheries, saidv track member and elongated metal member being provided with projections adapted to mesh with said recesses, said track member having onl its under side a structural steel member providing a downwardly extending flange for limiting outward movement oitV saidy door, the projections upon said track member comprising rivets having the function ofj'securing said structural steelmember to. said track member.

2. In combination, a car frame, a sliding door, a track carried by said car frame, an elongated metal member carried byV said door7 a pair` of rollers between said track and said elongated` metal members, said rollers being provided with recesses uniformly spaced about their peripheries, said track member and elongated metalmember being provided with projections adapted toy mesh with said recesses,- said track member having oniits under side a structural steel member providing a downwardly extending flangej positioned intermediate of the width oltsaid-track member, said door being-provided with an upwardlyl projecting' flange ydisposed inwardly of said downwardly projecting iange and having-rollers for limiting upward movement offsaid door, said projections upon saiidytrackV member including rivets having smooth heads on theirV under sides for securingsaid structural steel' member to said track member.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, of June, 1925.

FRAN-K l)I'ICHFIELI).`

this 1st day i 

